Elongate stabilizers for preventing furniture from tipping
Stabilizer for a piece of furniture, such as a dresser or television, includes an elongate preferably rigid portion having opposed ends, two plates each having an inner major surface and an outer planar surface on a side opposite the inner major surface, a respective hinge that pivotally connects each end of the elongate portion to the inner major surface of a respective plate, and attachment structure arranged at least partly on the outer planar surface of each plate for attaching the plate to the piece of furniture or to a vertical support surface behind the piece of furniture. When the stabilizer is attached to the piece of furniture at a location above the location at which the stabilizer is attached to the vertical support surface and the stabilizer is in a vertical orientation, the stabilizer provides resistance to tipping of the piece of furniture away from the vertical support surface.
1. A stabilizer for a piece of furniture, comprising:
an elongate portion having opposed first and second ends, and being rigid between said first and second ends;
a first plate having an inner major surface and an outer planar surface on a side of said first plate opposite said inner major surface of said first plate;
a second plate having an inner major surface and an outer planar surface on a side of said second plate opposite said inner major surface of said second plate;
a first hinge that pivotally connects said first end of said elongate portion to said inner major surface of said first plate;
a second hinge that pivotally connects said second end of said elongate portion to said inner major surface of said second plate;
first attachment means arranged at least partly on said outer planar surface of said first plate for attaching said first plate to the piece of furniture; and
second attachment means arranged at least partly on said outer planar surface of said second plate for attaching said second plate to a vertical support surface,
whereby when the stabilizer is attached to the piece of furniture at a location above the location at which the stabilizer is attached to the vertical support surface and the stabilizer is in a vertical orientation, the stabilizer provides resistance to tipping of the piece of furniture away from the vertical support surface.
2. The stabilizer of claim 1 , wherein said first hinge connects said first end of said elongate portion to a central area of said inner major surface of said first plate midway between upper and lower edges of said inner major surface of said first plate.
3. The stabilizer of claim 2 , wherein said second hinge connects said second end of said elongate portion to a central area of said inner major surface of said second plate midway between upper and lower edges of said inner major surface of said second plate.
4. The stabilizer of claim 1 , wherein at least one of said first and second hinges is an integral hinge.
5. The stabilizer of claim 1 , wherein said first and second hinges are integral hinges.
6. The stabilizer of claim 1 , wherein said first attachment means comprise hook or loop fasteners attached to said outer planar surface of said first plate, whereby complementary hook or loop fasteners are attachable to the rear surface of the piece of furniture to enable attachment of the stabilizer to the piece of furniture via cooperation of the hook and loop fasteners.
7. The stabilizer of claim 1 , wherein said second attachment means comprise hook and loop fasteners attached to said outer planar surface of said second plate, whereby complementary hook or loop fasteners are attachable to the support surface to enable attachment of the stabilizer to the support surface via cooperation of the hook and loop fasteners.
8. The stabilizer of claim 1 , wherein said elongate portion and said first and second plates have a unibody construction.
9. The stabilizer of claim 1 , wherein said elongate portion is planar.
10. The stabilizer of claim 1 , wherein the stabilizer has a uniform width.
11. A stabilizer for a piece of furniture, comprising:
an elongate portion having opposed first and second ends;
a first plate having an inner major surface and an outer planar surface on a side of said first plate opposite said inner major surface of said first plate;
a second plate having an inner major surface and an outer planar surface on a side of said second plate opposite said inner major surface of said second plate, said elongate portion and said first and second plates having a unibody construction;
a first hinge that pivotally connects said first end of said elongate portion to said inner major surface of said first plate;
a second hinge that pivotally connects said second end of said elongate portion to said inner major surface of said second plate;
first attachment means arranged at least partly on said outer planar surface of said first plate for attaching said first plate to the piece of furniture; and
second attachment means arranged at least partly on said outer planar surface of said second plate for attaching said second plate to a vertical support surface,
whereby when the stabilizer is attached to the piece of furniture at a location above the location at which the stabilizer is attached to the vertical support surface and the stabilizer is in a vertical orientation, the stabilizer provides resistance to tipping of the piece of furniture away from the vertical support surface.
12. The stabilizer of claim 11 , wherein said first hinge connects said first end of said elongate portion to a central area of said inner major surface of said first plate midway between upper and lower edges of said inner major surface of said first plate.
13. The stabilizer of claim 12 , wherein said second hinge connects said second end of said elongate portion to a central area of said inner major surface of said second plate midway between upper and lower edges of said inner major surface of said second plate.
14. The stabilizer of claim 11 , wherein at least one of said first and second hinges is an integral hinge.
15. The stabilizer of claim 11 , wherein said first and second hinges are integral hinges.
16. The stabilizer of claim 11 , wherein said first attachment means comprise hook or loop fasteners attached to said outer planar surface of said first plate, whereby complementary hook or loop fasteners are attachable to the rear surface of the piece of furniture to enable attachment of the stabilizer to the piece of furniture via cooperation of the hook and loop fasteners.
17. The stabilizer of claim 11 , wherein said second attachment means comprise hook and loop fasteners attached to said outer planar surface of said second plate, whereby complementary hook or loop fasteners are attachable to the support surface to enable attachment of the stabilizer to the support surface via cooperation of the hook and loop fasteners.
18. The stabilizer of claim 11 , wherein said elongate portion is rigid.
19. The stabilizer of claim 11 , wherein said elongate portion is planar.
20. The stabilizer of claim 11 , wherein the stabilizer has a uniform width.